Question

Posted by: Garfield | 2010/02/18

Empty tummy-how long after meal?

Hi Doc,How long does it take for your tummy to be empty after a meal? the reason i' m asking is because I' ve just read an article about eating fruit on an empty tummy, i usually eat my fruits as snacks, mid morning and mid afternoon, after breakfast and lunch would my tummy be empty by the time i have the fruit snack (2,5hrs usually)?Is it true that eating fruit on an empty tummy is better? they say if you don' t then the fruit gets stuck behind the food and forms everything to ferment causing gas/bloatedness?? makes sense i guess ??thanks

Our expert says:

Dear Garfield
I don't think this article you read really makes sense. The human digestive system is designed to digest all types of foods at the same time because we are omnivores. You can, therefore, eat mixtures of foods (proteins, carbs, fats) and digestion of all these macronutrients will occur at the same time. 2,5 hours after eating, you will still have food in your digestive tract because digestion and absorption can take between 4 to 6 hours. If you specifically develop gas and bloating when eating fruit, then you may suffer from a fructose sensitivity? Your dr can send you for tests to determine if you are sensitive to fructose. If you don't develop bloating when you eat fruit, then carry on as before because your system can obviously handle fruit.
Best regards
DietDoc

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Our users say:

Posted by: DietDoc | 2010/02/19

Dear Garfield
I don't think this article you read really makes sense. The human digestive system is designed to digest all types of foods at the same time because we are omnivores. You can, therefore, eat mixtures of foods (proteins, carbs, fats) and digestion of all these macronutrients will occur at the same time. 2,5 hours after eating, you will still have food in your digestive tract because digestion and absorption can take between 4 to 6 hours. If you specifically develop gas and bloating when eating fruit, then you may suffer from a fructose sensitivity? Your dr can send you for tests to determine if you are sensitive to fructose. If you don't develop bloating when you eat fruit, then carry on as before because your system can obviously handle fruit.
Best regards
DietDoc

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